Entrepreneurs are realising you don't have to leave Yorkshire to build something significant: Chris Boyes

They’re using software to transform traditional industries, deploying AI to solve complex problems, and finding new ways to serve customers across the UK and beyond.

What they have in common is not just what they’re building — but the mindset they bring to building it.

Recent government announcements – including the £2 billion artificial intelligence investment and the launch of the Modern Industrial Strategy – set a clear direction: if we want long-term economic growth, we need to back scale-ups and innovation.

But success won’t just depend on capital or policy. It will depend on people.

At BGF, we’ve invested close to 50 Yorkshire and North East companies over the past decade.

What we’ve seen time and again is that growth comes from founders and management teams with clarity of purpose and long-term ambition – people who understand their local market and have the drive to take their business to the next level.

Take Tevalis in Hull, a hospitality tech platform that’s scaling nationally.

Or Tribepad in Sheffield, which is transforming recruitment through software.

Or IDR Law in Harrogate, a specialist legal firm growing a different kind of business model.

These founders aren’t just responding to market demand – they’re reshaping it.

They’re also building in a way that reflects the strengths of this region: grounded, resilient, and connected to community.

There’s a growing sense that you don’t have to leave Yorkshire to build something significant.

You can do it from here – and for here.

That’s why we’ve committed £400 million to invest in Yorkshire and the North East, as part of a £3 billion strategy to back ambitious businesses across the UK.

But it’s not just about where we invest – it’s also about who.

We’ve also pledged at least £300 million to back female-powered businesses, one of the largest commitments of its kind in the UK.

Because diversity of leadership makes economies more resilient and innovative – and there’s no shortage of talent in this region.

What’s needed is confidence, capital, and backing.

Yorkshire has a huge role to play in the UK’s economic future.

But the growth won’t come from policy alone. It will come from the people who roll up their sleeves and build.

And that’s who we’re here to support – not just businesses, but builders.

In the years ahead, we believe Yorkshire will be one of the standout regions for entrepreneurship and innovation.

The ambition is here. The ideas are here.

With the right support, the opportunity is here too.

Because in the end, places don’t create growth – people do.

Chris Boyes is a partner at growth capital investor BGF